A Conversation with Emily
by Joan Powers
Summary: Emily confronts Rory about her situation. Post Gilmore Girls Netflix reunion. Spoilers: last four words


A Conversation with Emily

By Joan Powers

 **A/N:** Emily won't be happy about Rory's situation. This is how I think that conversation might go.

 **Rating:** PG/K

 **Genre:** Drama

 **Timeline:** Post Gilmore Girls Netflix reunion. Spoilers: last four words

 **Summary:** Emily confronts Rory about her situation.

The view from the backyard of her Nantucket cottage was spectacular. Even though the property wasn't beachfront, she could see the ocean from her veranda. She was close enough to hear the distant waves crashing onto the sand and smell the faint tang of salt in the air. A dirt path at the back of her property led to some stairs which traversed a gentle hill to allow beach access.

Emily Gilmore was sipping a glass of wine while sitting on her veranda on a white wicker sofa which was covered with colorful floral cushions. Rather than enjoying the scenery, she was carefully considering her words while trying to remain calm.

 _June won't work for us, Mom. Rory's having the baby. How about August?_

Lorelei had continued her usual random chatter, indicating she hadn't realized the monumental bomb shell she'd dropped. Stunned, Emily had been speechless. Then she'd miraculously managed to bite her tongue, not letting on that Lorelei had revealed such life altering news. Once she'd gotten off the phone, Emily immediately called Rory to invite her up for a visit, accepting no excuses.

What was that girl thinking?

She hadn't seen Rory for a while, not since Lorelei's wedding. To Emily's knowledge, there was no man in the picture. Though she fervently hoped there was. Certainly there was no wedding planned. Unless those two had conspired to keep that from her as well. She wouldn't put that past them. They were as thick as thieves. Yet Lorelei had said Rory was having the baby. Not Rory and David or Rory and….whoever, which lead her to assume the worst case scenario.

There wasn't any discussion of jobs on the horizon either.

Emily was worried about her granddaughter. She'd passed several uneasy nights determining how she wanted to handle this situation. It took all the self-control that she had to suppress her frantic urge to lash out and demand answers. To talk some sense into Rory and fix this disaster. Yet she realized that it had to be handled carefully. After losing Richard, she couldn't bear to lose anyone else. Whatever happened, she couldn't alienate her beloved Rory.

"Hi Grandma."

Rory sank into a wicker chair across from Emily.

Her grandmother smiled. "Rory, it's always a delight to see you. Would you like a drink? How was traffic?" She forced herself to be patient, feigning a calm she didn't feel.

"I'm fine. I didn't run into many delays."

Her granddaughter certainly didn't look fine. Even if Lorelei hadn't let the cat out of the bag, Emily would've known something was off. Rory's face was pale and she lacked her usual focus and energy. Her attire was sloppy – worn dungarees and an oversized Yale sweatshirt that was stretched tightly in an unflattering manner about her midriff. Her long brown hair was barely combed. She was also avoiding eye contact with her grandmother.

"It's beautiful up here."

Emily agreed. Nantucket was a welcome change. As much as she missed Richard, it was easier to be in a new setting with less painful reminders. She was living a new life rather than hiding within the shadows of her old one.

"Would you like a drink? I can find Francesca."

"No" Rory replied. "I'm fine."

Preserving the façade of a casual visit, Emily asked, "What have you been up to?

That brought a sparkle back to her blue eyes.

"I've been writing. A book about Mom and me."

Oh Lord. It was hard enough living through Lorelei's disgrace the first time around. And now Rory wanted to share the intimate details with the entire world? Emily clenched her fingers while trying to swallow her distress. She reminded herself there were more important issues here.

"How's it coming along?"

"Slowly. But it's moving."

"Do you have a publisher?"

"Not yet."

Rory wasn't going to like this but she couldn't stall any longer. Besides, the pregnancy was fairly obvious from her appearance.

"You're having a baby."

Her eyes widened. "Ye…Yes."

More rapid fire, Emily demanded, "Is there a father in the picture?"

Getting defensive, Rory replied, "No. And there doesn't have to be. Mom did a great job by herself."

Anger welling within her, Emily held back her gut response. "I suppose you're right about your mother. But this isn't about her, it's about you.

"How will you provide for this child? Your trust fund was supposed to help you travel and provide for a few extras. It was never meant to support you. And it's certainly not enough to support you and a child. Do you even have an apartment? Last I knew you were storing boxes in the pool house, and your mom's and your friends' houses."

More determined, she replied, "I told you, I'm writing a book. And I'm moving in with Mom and Luke."

Deliberately choosing her words, Emily replied, "I have no doubt that it will be fine book. You're an excellent writer. But it takes time to build a reputation and make a living as author. Writing and being a single mother will be challenging. "

Rory firmly replied, "Mom did fine on her own. Without your help."

That hurt. But it was valid.

"I thought you wanted to leave Stars Hollow and see the world. Even Stars Hollow high school was too small for you. Wasn't that your dream? Why would you want to settle there now?"

Becoming more animated, she responded, "What's wrong with how I grew up? I had a great childhood and Stars Hollow is a wonderful place to live. Mom has a great life."

She was getting tired of having Lorelei shoved in her face as such a shining example. Swallowing her pride she said, "There's nothing wrong with how your mother lives her life." Surely Rory understood how much it cost her to say that. "I just thought…that you were different from her. Not better, different. That you wanted more."

She'd never seen Rory looking so lost. But she was a Gilmore – too stubborn to admit it.

"Rory, is this what you want for yourself? To live with your mother while you raise a child on your own?"

It certainly didn't fall into any definition of success in Emily's mind.

"What's wrong with that? I don't want your high society life. Mom never did. I never did either."

Emily huffed. Did those two fail to notice that even she wasn't living that life anymore? That she was the one who left the DAR? With a rather spectacular scene. She smiled briefly, remembering the unaccustomed curse words flying out of her mouth. Lorelei would've fainted had she been there.

"I'm not questioning that. But is having a child on your own and living in Stars Hollow with your mother what you want to do with your life? Will it make you happy? Is this what you saw yourself doing when you graduated from Yale? What happened to the girl who wanted to see the world and tell everyone about it?"

Her blue eyes flashed and she hotly responded, "That's not fair. Journalism has changed. Major newspapers are closing all over the nation."

"I understand that."

"You don't care about my happiness! You only care about what it looks like to everyone else!"

"That's not true!" Emily paused a moment and then more calmly admitted, "Perhaps in the past. But not anymore. Rory, I want you to be happy. I'm just worried for you. How are you paying the medical bills for this child? If you have no job, you have no health insurance. You can't image the expenses that will rack up."

"Mom and Luke are helping me out," she insisted.

"How generous of them."

She hoped Rory hadn't caught the sarcastic tone that slipped out. Honestly, was it their job to support a thirty-two year old woman and her child?

She hated to provoke her granddaughter even further but she had to get clarity on this issue.

"Will the father be involved?"

"No. Absolutely not," Rory emphasized, "I did fine without a dad."

Emily raised a hand in acknowledgment. "Yes, you've already mentioned that. But Rory, who is the father?"

Her granddaughter's cheeks grew crimson.

Good heavens, she doesn't know for sure.

"Is this fair to your child?"

"What do you mean?"

"Not knowing who his father is. Not having him in his life." Anticipating her response, "Yes, I know you turned out wonderfully but what about Luke with that girl…..August? April? That was her name, wasn't it? He didn't know about her until she was a teenager. Was that fair to him? Or to her?"

Rory rose, nearly shouting, "What about me? Inviting this man into my life would get complicated. I don't want to deal with that. Don't I have enough to worry about already with the baby and my so-called career? Don't I have the right to make decisions in my best interest? Isn't it my life?"

In some ways she finally sounded more like the Rory she knew, more spirited and actively engaged. More gently, Emily said, "Of course you do. But you're becoming a mother, you have to think of your child first. If there's any chance that the father would want to be involved, don't you owe it to your child?"

Her eyes were downcast.

"Rory, please sit down."

Starting to move, Rory responded, "No. You've already made up your mind."

Emily sprang from her seat, rushing towards her granddaughter. "No! Wait! Please…sit down. There's something I have to say."

She reluctantly complied and her grandmother approached her.

"Rory, you've got some difficult choices to make. I hate to see you getting into such a complicated situation. I want you to be happy." Moving closer to her, she reached for her hand. "I want to be a part of your life. I want you to feel that you can come to me for help."

She took a breath. She hoped Rory realized how difficult these words were for her. They fought against her natural instincts. But the alternative, not having her granddaughter in her life, was unacceptable.

"I will fully support you in whatever way I can, whatever you choose to do."

 **THE END**


End file.
